


Like Hunger - But Deeper, Heavier

by Silvarbelle



Category: the untamed
Genre: Cuddle time!, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, fortunately lan zhan is more than ready and willing to give that, i haven't even figured out what to tag this as, just a bad dream suffered by a precious bean who deserves lots of love and care, there's no category for adoring male/male soulmates who have not yet boinked as of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25173847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvarbelle/pseuds/Silvarbelle
Summary: In Wei Wuxian's dreams: hell dogs come with wicked horns, bad attitudes, and terrifying familiarity.
Relationships: Wei Wuxian x Lan Wangji
Comments: 22
Kudos: 221





	Like Hunger - But Deeper, Heavier

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kelex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelex/gifts).



> Fell absolutely in love with The Untamed; reading the novel it's based off of now. This idea sunk in and wouldn't let go, so here it is; beta'd by my fabulous sister, Kelex, who got me into The Untamed. My next fic is going to involve chickens. Anyway: here's Wonderwall.

Something was rotten in the city of Yiling.

Wei Wuxian frowned as he looked around the street he stood on. There were familiar faces among the strangers all around him; his rescued Wens as some of the vendors and some of the customers and some of the passersby. None of them acknowledged him beyond the barest smiles and nods. A couple of people bent to pat the top of his head.

He felt… odd. He was so small, now, but he should be as tall or taller than most of these people. He was a child again; lost on the streets and desperate for help. 

He called out the honorifics of those he was familiar with. He asked for food. He was hungry and, with every dismissal, he grew hungrier. He couldn’t decide which felt more cold and condensed: his heart or his stomach.

He walked the streets until he passed a food stall. He knew better than to get near the stall and its wares or the sharp-eyed vendor – one of those stranger-faces that he _didn’t_ know. The man behind the stall looked at Wei Wuxian as if he were a filthy rat that needed exterminating. So Wei Wuxian moved past the stall until he found the refuse pile. He crouched down to pick among the trimmings for anything edible.

Wei Wuxian had just found a decent hunk of turnip when a large canine muzzle filled with frightfully large, sharp teeth chomped down on the food. He let go in a hurry and scrabbled back even as the mongrel dog gave a guttural snarl around its mouthful. The dog had white fur and pure black eyes; liquid and limitless. Next to folded back ears, wicked looking horns sprouted from its head. The muzzle wrinkled back even further, exposing more and more teeth nearly up to those ears, and the hideous growl that rattled its throat continued unabated.

Wei Wuxian backed further away and the dog followed, ignoring the turnip chunk in its mouth. This wasn’t about food – it was about _territory_ and how Wei Wuxian had no right to exist in it.

Suddenly: more dogs! White furred and horned and fanged; all of them gathering to hunt him.

Wei Wuxian hopped to his feet and flinched when all of the dogs _snarled_. He looked around, desperate for help. He called out to the familiar faces and they smiled, they nodded – and the dogs’ focus began to shift towards them.

No… _no!_

_No._

Wei Wuxian ran.

The dogs lunged into motion after him. He heard the horrible scrape of multiple sharp claws on stone; heard the baying howls rip from their throats.  


He ran, away and away from the people, in search of escape and safety.

“ _Lan Zhan!_ ”

His voice was strangely muted in his ears despite the strength of his scream. He cried out again, hoping to be louder – hoping to be heard.

“ _Lan Zhan!_ ”

He ran, aware of the sour hot panting breath of the dogs against his back and his neck. He ran, desperately seeking safety and shelter.

“ _Lan Zhan!_ ”

Wei Wuxian and the dogs tore through town, running the streets of Yiling, until he took a wrong turn and ended up in an enclosed alley.

The light disappeared as the dog pack filled the alley. There were so many; huge – taller than him. Their terrible teeth dripped saliva as murderous growls rolled from their throats. The white dogs with their wicked horns prowled closer, growing in size as they did so.

And then: their heads changed shape!

Wei Wuxian watched with unspeakable horror as the dogs suddenly wore the faces of _very_ familiar people. There was Madam Yu and Clan Leader Jiang! There was Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng! There was Jin Ling! There were Wen Qing and Wen Ning! There was Jin Guangyao and Xue Yang and Jin Zixun and Su She. There was… everyone; all the Clan Leaders and several underlings he was familiar with. All of them – adored or despised – were snarling hatred and the need to _hurt_ him through their still sharp teeth.

They lunged and brought him down. His tiny, weak body fell to the ground, yanked this way and that as those sharp teeth dug in and tore at him.

Wei Wuxian cried out again and again for Lan Zhan even as one of the dogs – he couldn’t see who – began licking his hair in broad, smooth strokes from his brow back. Wei Wuxian felt himself fading, unwilling to stay lucid for yet another death. His cries for Lan Zhan began to fade as well, his words cracking around his lonely and pained weeping. 

The only thing he was aware of now was that weird dog licking his head because that, at least, wasn’t hurting him. The tongue stroking his hair felt nice and he _wanted_ nice! He wanted nice and comforting – he wanted Lan Zhan!

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart leapt! Lan Zhan! _Lan Zhan!_

“Yes. Wei Ying – open your eyes.”

No; oh, no, he couldn’t do _that_. He couldn’t bear to see the murder-dogs devouring him with wicked glee all over those painfully familiar faces.

“Wei Ying. I am here. Trust me.”

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes.

The time was still night; the world around them still dark save for the banked campfire softly glowing in its safe stone circle. Wei Wuxian was half-settled on Lan Zhan’s lap; cradled in strong, slender arms. Lan Zhan’s dark hair fell down around them both, his head bowed to look at Wei Wuxian. One hand stroked, broad and smooth, over Wei Wuxian’s hair.

“Wei Ying.”

His name in that deep, soft voice had never sounded better. Wei Wuxian tried to smile; instead, shivered wildly and curled onto his side, turning into the safety and warmth of Lan Zhan.

“What did you dream?”

The quiet question made Wei Wuxian tense. He nuzzled his face deeper into the lovely silk robes, seeking Lan Zhan’s warmth and the solid stability of his body.

“…Dogs,” he finally said. “I was a child again in Yiling, but everyone I know as a man was there. They were the dogs and they chased me; caught me and devoured me. I called for you…”

“Yes, you did. Here I am.”

Wei Wuxian frowned as he puzzled the answer – and became aware of a scratchy tightness in his throat. He felt his cheeks and ears go hot. He _had_ called out for Lan Zhan! In both dream and reality, he had called for Lan Zhan.

“I’m sorry for disturbing your rest,” Wei Wuxian said, feeling small and stupid.

“I will always answer when you call for me.”

This was said with another stroke to Wei Wuxian’s hair. Wei Ying smiled and let himself relax against Lan Zhan.

“You are too good to me, Lan Zhan,” he murmured; “better than this one deserves.”

“No.”

A simple denial that said so much… in that single word, Wei Wuxian saw in his mind’s eye a cascade of memories; many of Lan Zhan’s generosities to him, given so easily and without hesitation.

Reaching up, Wei Wuxian gently touched his fingers to a smooth, pale cheek and silently reveled in his privilege to be allowed that intimacy.

He told the tale of his dream in more detail and finished with: “None of the dogs were you. Not one of them wore your face, Lan Zhan – you were not there.”

“Of course I was not there. I am _here_. I am here for you, Wei Ying.”

Tears slipped from Wei Wuxian’s eyes even as he smiled up at Lan Zhan.

“I know,” he admitted. Lan Zhan was a constant in his new life – a blessing he’d never expected or even dared hope for.

The tiniest of smiles tugged at the corners of Lan Zhan’s mouth as he used his thumb to gently wipe away Wei Wuxian’s tears.

“Are you hungry?”

Wei Wuxian’s smile turned slightly bitter. Until now, only Yanli had ever _really_ understood that hunger equaled sadness for Wei Ying. But now, Lan Zhan knew and Wei Wuxian hated that for him; that he had to know Wei Ying’s sadness. But Lan Zhan had made no fuss about it; had not taken his new knowledge as a burden. He had, in his dignified way, simply accepted this fact and worked with it.

“A little bit,” Wei Wuxian admitted in answer to Lan Zhan’s question. He sat up with a small smile of his own. “Not a lot – only a little bit… thanks to you.”

Lan Zhan’s smile stayed small, but the warmth in his gaze increased tremendously. He touched Wei Wuxian’s shoulder for a moment and then reached into his robes to pull out a cloth-wrapped piece of journey bread. He held it out to Wei Wuxian.

“I am sorry it is not lotus seeds,” Lan Zhan offered in apology.

Wei Wuxian smiled and shook his head. He took the bread and then gestured, toasting Lan Zhan with it, and then unwrapped the food.

“As good as,” he said, and couldn’t resist adding: “Though it would be better with some Emperor’s Smile.”

Lan Zhan gave him a _look_ and Wei Wuxian gave him a cheeky smile in return. Lan Zhan turned his focus to the campfire; used a stick to stir the coals, coaxing up a little bit of flame to give them warmth. Wei Wuxian broke off a piece of the bread and held it out to the other man, but Lan Zhan shook his head.

The two men sat in quiet companionship: Wei Wuxian eating and Lan Zhan keeping him company.

“Lan Zhan,” said Wei Wuxian softly, staring at the campfire.

“Mn.”

“Will you play for me? I still hear their snarling in my head.”

Without a word, Lan Zhan swept an arm dramatically over his lap. His guqin appeared in a rush of light.

 _Wangxian_ spilled forth from the strings; a declaration of love and recognition in every elegant pluck and slide of Lan Zhan’s fingers across the guqin.

Wei Wuxian smiled and nodded. Then, he shifted and shuffled closer until he was settled quite close against Lan Zhan. He turned just enough so that he wouldn’t bump the guqin, and then he leaned up against the other man. He nestled against Lan Zhan in a languid drape; settled his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder.

Lan Zhan accepted his weight without protest and continued playing.

Wei Ying closed his eyes on a smile. The terrible, bone-tightening fear of his nightmare finally lost its hold on him as Lan Zhan took its place. Where there had been horror and loneliness and pain – there was now only soothing melody and warmth.

There was only Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying nuzzled against Lan Zhan’s shoulder and kept smiling; no longer hungry.

End


End file.
